BEIJING: Indians, Chinese Account For 47% Of International Students In US: Report

BEIJING: Students from India and China
accounted for 47 per cent of all active foreign students in the US in 2020,
according to latest official figures, which also indicated a significant drop
in fresh enrolments from abroad due to the impact of the pandemic.

The
annual report released by Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP), part
of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) noted that there were 1.25
million active records in SEVIS for F-1 and M-1 students during calendar year
2020, a 17.86 per cent decrease from calendar year 2019.

While an
F1 visa is issued to international students who are attending an academic
programme or English language programme at a US college or university, M-1 visa
is reserved for international students attending vocational schools and
technical schools.

US
schools saw a 72 per cent decrease in new international student enrollment in
2020 compared to 2019, it said. New international students include those who
were not enrolled in a programme of study at a US school during the previous
calendar year, the report said.

In August
2020, there was a 91 per cent decrease in new F-1 international student
enrollment and a 72 per cent decrease in new M-1 international student
enrollment at US schools.

According
to SEVIS, there were 382,561 students from China, followed by 207,460 students
from India. China and India were followed by South Korea (68,217), Saudi Arabia
(38,039), Canada (35,508) and Brazil (34,892), the report said.

SEVIS is
a web-based system for maintaining information on international nonimmigrant
students and exchange visitors in the US.

Forty-seven
per cent (590,021) of all active SEVIS records hailed from either China
(382,561) or India (207,460) in calendar year 2020, a slight decrease from 48
per cent in calendar year 2019. While the overall number of active F-1 and M-1
student records coming from Asia decreased by 143,697 from calendar year 2019
to calendar year 2020, student record trends varied across different countries,
it said.

The
number of students from China and India made Asia the most popular continent of
origin. However, China sent fewer students in 2020 in comparison to 2019
(-91,936), as did India (-41,761). Still, 74 per cent of all international
students in the United States call Asia home. Other Asian countries sent fewer
students including South Korea (-15,854), Saudi Arabia (-15,244) and Japan
(-10,897), it said.

Forty-four
per cent (552,188) of F-1 and M-1 international students in calendar year 2020
were female, while 56 per cent (698,964) were male. Among Indian students, 35
per cent were females and 65 per cent are males. For China the figures are 47
per cent are females and 53 per cent are males.

Of K-12
student enrollments in 2020, 42.5 per cent were female (33,759). In addition,
44 per cent (194,558) of bachelor’s and master’s international students were
female, 50 per cent (42,608) of international students seeking associate
degrees were female and 39 per cent (70,418) of international students seeking
doctoral degrees were female in 2020.

Of the
top 10 countries of citizenship in calendar year 2020, the average female
enrollment was 44 per cent (386,851) and the average male enrollment was 56 per
cent (484,103).

According
to SEVIS, the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019 impacted international student
enrollment in the United States in 2020. The total number of SEVIS records for
active F-1 and M-1 students was 1,251,569 in calendar year 2020, a decrease of
17.86 per cent from calendar year 2019, it said.

The
number of international students enrolled at kindergarten through grade 12
(K[1]12) schools decreased 24.6 per cent from 2019 to 2020 (-19,247). In
calendar year 2020, US schools saw a 72 per cent decrease in new international
student enrollment when compared to calendar year 2019.

New
international students include those who were not enrolled in a programme of
study at a US school during the previous calendar year. US schools saw dramatic
decreases in new international student enrollment in both August and September,
traditionally months where the largest numbers of new international students
enroll in US schools.

In August
2020, there was a 91 per cent decrease in new F-1 international student
enrollment and a 72 per cent decrease in new M-1 international student
enrollment at US schools. In 2019, more than three K-12 schools enrolled more
than 700 international students, with one school hosting more than 1,000
international students. In comparison, in 2020, only one school hosted more
than 700 international students, the report said.